OUTFLANKING MOVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25579, 5 July 1944, Page 5

OUTFLANKING MOVE

STORMING OF MINSK GERMANS DEMORALISED (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, July 4. Describing the capture of Minsk, a Red Star correspondent says: "Our tank forces crossed the Beresina, deeply outflanked the defences, and overcame all attempts to hold the approaches to the city. “ The Gentians had already been mangled- and demoralised' in previous engagements, and were unable to organise defences along the Minsk highway or in any other direction. Disjointed German groups could not stand our tank assault, and they were either captured or slain in the woods. “In the meantime we continued the deep outflanking movement and surprised the Germans by appearing in the north of the city at 2 a.m., when our tanks broke into the city’s outskirts. Then other units penetrated the city from the east and the south-east, and the centre of Minsk was soon reached. Street fighting started, and the Germans were split up and destroyed piecemeal. The enemy put up their last show of resistance on the bank of the Svisloch, but we crossed an undamaged bridge and outflanked and wiped them out. All was over by noon. We did not stop, but rushed on, hotly pursuing the Germans while street fighting was still going on.” A wall of Soviet troops, tanks and artillery is bearing down on the routed Germans beyond Minsk, reports Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Many enemy units are completely out of touch with their command, and are certain of only two things—constant onslaughts from the air and the Red Army’s irresistible enveloping advance. The Red Star says a dozen German divisions, devoid of leadership, have abandoned their equiDment. Large booty was captured at Minsk, including a number of trains fully laden with war material. The city suffered terribly, and the only undamaged houses are in the suburbs. Empty land fenced round with barbed wire is all that is left of the Jewish quarters, the inhabitants of which were murdered by the Germans.